April 17, 2026 — At South Cobb High School, each student finds their passion and reason why they enjoy coming to school.
For senior Mackenzie Dailey, she's found a love for music and live production through DJ'ing and creating music.
In a matter of weeks, she will become a Cobb Schools graduate, a milestone achievement for a student who wasn't afforded an easy path to get here.
"When I was in ninth grade, my house burnt down, and it was really a lot to deal with in general, especially being so young, just having experienced a loss of a house, and also wondering about your every meal at the end of the day, like that was hard to deal with," said Mackenzie.
In the midst of bouncing around from multiple temporary housing options, Dailey's dad passed away, which only added to the burden this high school student already faced.
Struggling to get gas money to get to school, Mackenzie stressed the importance of being at South Cobb to her family. At school, food was provided as she worked toward a future that would make her and her family proud.
While doing her best to stay involved in classes, Mackenzie was presented with a life-changing opportunity.
"Mrs. Smiley came to me one day and asked me if I wanted to run sound for the Descendants play, and it started my career in live production because I always loved that side. But the more and more that I started being around her in her class, she introduced the DJ curriculum that got me into DJ'ing," said Mackenzie.
The South Cobb Senior has performed a DJ set in front of the State Board of Education and has already been working jobs as a DJ outside of school hours.
Beyond finding her passion for learning, this newfound love for music also gave her the chance to have moments without stress and grief while focusing on school and her new career.
"It kept me in school because I know that I would get lost in the music. I have my speakers so loud that I can't even hear my thoughts, but I can hear the beats, I can hear the melody, and I can hear the chords, and that's all that matters. It brought me back to earth. Whenever I would listen to music, and especially in this room, it would also keep me sane," said Mackenzie.
 |  |
 |  |
As graduation approaches, Mackenzie said she is most proud of how she handled herself in the midst of tragedy and of her ability to persevere throughout it all.
A big motivation for her was thinking back to a younger version of herself and trying to make her proud.
Mackenzie is now weighing her college options, a dream she previously didn't think was possible, while she continues to work at multiple venues across metro Atlanta area as a DJ.
